It’s almost impossible to turn old threads into new clothes, but scientists are working to change that.
By Nicolás Rivero, The Washington PostShredded mixed textile waste with unknown compositions after, left, and before treatment.
Catchall recycling techniques like this one could be a last line of defense to keep clothing out of the dump, according to Tasha Lewis, an associate clinical professor in fashion and retail studies at Ohio State University. There are other solutions to fashion waste that are simpler and cheaper: People can buy secondhand clothing and make their wardrobes last longer. Companies can make garments more durable and make them out of one material so they’re easier to recycle.
“Ideally, if we recycled all textile waste, we would have enough materials forever and we wouldn’t need to produce new materials,” said Miriam Ribul, a senior research fellow in Materials Circularity at the Royal College of Art in London. To deal with complicated clothes with mysterious materials, Andini and her colleagues developed a chemical recycling process that strips fabrics down to their molecular studs. Using microwaves and chemical solvents, the researchers can break the bonds that hold synthetic fibers together, leaving behind the basic molecules used to make polyester, nylon and spandex, along with intact cotton fibers.
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